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Rich bank manager runs away from accident but when the whole thing is posted to Facebook his family decides to pay up.

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Netizens rage at 'rich' man abusing law

14 Jan 2013
Online Reporters

The unnamed "rich" driver of a car involved in a traffic accident has become the target of attack by netizens after he allegedly claimed to have connections in high places and refused to take responsibility for running into a car in front of him, according to a report in Khao Sod newspaper.

Several pictures of him were posted on the Facebook social media website. According to the poster, he threatened to harm the driver of the car he rear-ended. He denied any responsibility and threatened the young man's sister during the argument .

According to the poster, the man is an executive of a bank and owns a tutoring school in Siam Square

He fled the accident scene, but police caught up with him. He told police that he was attacked by the other driver and refused to take a breath-alcohol test.

He also tried to escape, so the police took him to the station, according to the post.

He claimed to have connections and said that nobody could touch him. He also flashed a million baht wristwatch he was wearing at police, according to the poster

The responses to the story by the netizens were nearly all negative. Some said he was a "typical" rich Thai who thought he could easily get away with anything, even murder

However, a few claimed to have witnessed the accident. They said it was not totally his fault. Both cars were travelling fast and the car in front of his braked abruptly, so they collided, which these posters said could happen to anyone.

They also said he did not appear drunk as claimed by the story poster.

Later, the man who posted the attack on the "rich man", posted another message saying that the man's family had agreed to pay for the damage to the other car.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Breakingnews, Netizens rage at 'rich' man abusing law, 14 Jan 2013, Online Reporters, link) 


Citizen Journalism Vocabulary

citizen journalism -  when ordinary people who are not journalists or reporters for newpapers or TV gather, spread and debate about the news: "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing, and disseminating news and information" (See Wikipedia)

netizen - a person who spends a lot of time on the internet (reading and debating the news there)

traffic - related to cars on the road or other transportation การจราจร
traffic accident - when a car or other vehicle hits something such as another car injuring or killing people or damaging property  อุบัติเหตุ

rear - back ด้านหลัง

rear-end collision - when your car hits the back of another car, usually because you are too close to the other car (tailgating), in some places (such California) a person who rear-ends another car is automatically responible for the accident because they could have avoided the accident by keeping as distance behind the other car) (See Wikipedia)

tailgating - driving too close to the car in front of you which makes accidents more likely to happen (See Wikipedia)

scene - the place where something bad such as a crime (crime scene) or an accident (accident scene) happened
accident scene - the place where an accident happened

fled - run away from a place  หนี
fled the accident scene

caught up with - to go fast and reach someone in front of you

he fled the accident scene, but police caught up with him.

hit and run - the crime of running away from the scene of an accident to avoid the law (See Wikipedia)

rage - extreme anger ความเดือดดาล
rage at rich man

abuse - use something in wrong way to get some benefit, gain or advantage from it
abusing the law

netizens rage at 'rich' man abusing law

The unnamed "rich" driver of a car involved in a traffic accident has become the target of attack by netizens after he allegedly claimed to have connections in high places and refused to take responsibility for running into a car in front of him, according to a report in Khao Sod newspaper.

target - the goal or thing action is directed at เป้าหมาย
target of attack

allegedly - claimed but not yet proven ที่ถูกกล่าวหา
claim - say that something is true (without proving it yet)
allegedly claimed

refuse - say you will not do something ปฏิเสธ, ไม่ยอมรับ
responsibility - having to take care of some task as part of your job
refused to take responsibility

allegedly claimed to have connections in high places and refused to take responsibility for running into a car in front of him

social media - websites such as Facebook and Twitter that allow people to form networks and receive news feeds with continual updates
media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ

Facebook social media website

Several pictures of him were posted on the Facebook social media website. According to the poster, he threatened to harm the driver of the car he rear-ended.

the car he rear-ended
the driver of the car he rear-ended

denied - said it was not true
denied any responsibility - said he did not do anything to cause this problem

threaten - telling someone that they will be hurt if they don't do something
argument - when people fight over something because they do not agree  about it

threatened the young man's sister during the argument
he denied any responsibility and threatened the young man's sister during the argument

harm - hurt or do damage to something ความเสียหาย
threatened to harm the driver of the car he rear-ended

According to the poster, the man is an executive of a bank and owns a tutoring school in Siam Square

executive - the highest level managers in a company
executive of a bank - a high-level manager at a bank

tutor - a teacher outside of school
tutoring school - a school that students go to outside of their regular school
owns a tutoring school

breath-alcohol test - the test that police use to find out if someone is drunk while driving

take a test
take a breath-alcohol test

refuse - say you will not do something ปฏิเสธ, ไม่ยอมรับ
refused to take a breath-alcohol test

He told police that he was attacked by the other driver and refused to take a breath-alcohol test.

escape - leave or run away from jail or the police (or here: the accident scene)

He also tried to escape, so the police took him to the station, according to the post 

nobody could touch him - being invincible, nobody can harm him (because he knows powerful people)

flash - show something to people (so they see it or notice it)
flashed a million baht wristwatch

He claimed to have connections and said that nobody could touch him. He also flashed a million baht wristwatch he was wearing at police, according to the poster.

flashed - happened very quickly วูบผ่านไปอย่างรวดเร็ว

negative - bad ที่เป็นด้านลบ
response- answer, reply คำตอบ, การตอบ
negative responses - people said they didn't like it

The responses to the story by the netizens were nearly all negative.

typical - ซึ่งเป็นตัวอย่าง, ซึ่งเป็นแบบอย่าง
typical rich Thai

get away with - to do something bad and not be punished  (as you should be)
get away with anything - can do anything you want and will not be punished
thought he could easily get away with anything

murder - the crime of intentionally killing a person ฆาตกรรม

some said he was a "typical" rich Thai who thought he could easily get away with anything, even murder

witness (noun) - a person who saw something happen such as a crime พยาน,  ผู้รู้เห็น, ผู้รับรู้
witness (verb) - to see something happen (such as a crime)

a few claimed to have witnessed the accident.

fault - being the one who caused a problem or failure ความผิด
his fault - he was the one who caused the problem or failure

totally his fault - he was the only one who caused the problem
not totally his fault - there were other people who caused the problem (in addition to hom)

they said it was not totally his fault

brake  ห้ามล้อ, เบรค, หยุด
abruptly - suddenly and unexpectedly, and often unpleasant อย่างกะทันหัน
brake abruptly - to stop a car very quickly and suddenly (by stepping on the brake)

collide - when two things hit (and are damaged usually (example: two cars collided on the freeway) 
could happen to anyone

both cars were travelling fast and the car in front of his braked abruptly, so they collided, which these posters said could happen to anyone.

post (verb) - put an article or comment on an article onto a webpage
post story
posted message
post an attack on a person

post pictures
pictures posted on Facebook

post (noun) - the article or comment put on a webpage
story poster

they also said he did not appear drunk as claimed by the story poster
the man who posted the attack on the "rich man"
several pictures of him were posted on the Facebook social media website.

the man posted another message saying that the man's family had agreed to pay for the damage to the other car.

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